Life, Death, and Lullabies
by Cartoonicat
Summary: With the arrival of an inter-dimensional sorceress, Jump City is plunged into a world far different than its own. Danger lurks around every corner, threatening to tear apart all the city residents have ever known, and the Titans are powerless to stop it. That is, without some extra help. An action-adventure story with a slow-burn romance. RobStar, BBRae, hints of BBTerra.
1. Chapter 1: The Siren's Song

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans!**

 **A/N: Before reading, do note that this story takes place nearly a year after the final episode. "Trouble in Tokyo" has already happened.**

It was a chilly spring morning in Jump City when an anomaly fell from the sky, landing ungracefully in the frosty waters below. A light flurry drifted over the city, delighting the populace braving the wind outside with a spark of joy; it was snowing! Most civilians, even the busiest of them, stopped what they were doing to hold their hands out for the crisp little flakes. Children giggled up at their parents, teenagers together blushed at the sight, and adults sighed gratefully for the temporary reprieve of their mundane lives. Everything was bliss, if only for a moment.

Pulling herself to shore, shivers nearly overtaking her porcelain skin, a woman shakily wiped clumps of wet brown hair from her hazel eyes. She groaned, discomfited by the feel of her robe sticking to skin, and stood up with gritty sand covering her person. Freezing and frustrated, she wrapped gangly arms around herself and trod up the steep shore, sniffling the stinging cold air and mumbling all the way.

" _Those wretched fools,"_ dirt clumped around the rims of her shoes, threatening to drown her quickly numbing toes, " _think they can get rid of me that easily!"_

Several minutes later, the newcomer found herself past the shoreline's edge, her squishy cloth flats standing on lush green grass. Her eyes widened at the color and she knelt, running quaking fingers through the emerald blades. It was so beautiful; unlike anything she'd ever seen, ever felt! With a slow inhale, the scent of freshly mowed grass entered her nostrils. A shiver - whether it be from the cold or her own excitement, the woman wasn't sure - ran down her spine and she looked around at the surrounding vegetation. Trees towered over her, despite being several feet away, and their branches formed the oddest of shapes; it was as if they were massive jade triangles, casting a large shadow over her that chilled her even more. A smile split her face and she stood, running forward to touch the rough brown skin at the base.

"The _bark_ ," she mused aloud, feeling it scratch against her soft flesh. A laugh escaped her lips, and another, and another until she was all but cackling wildly at her situation. She jabbed a finger at the sky, eyes lit with manic enthusiasm, " _You_ sent me here as punishment! This is not punishment!" The woman took a deep breath, exhaling animatedly, before running into the trees and scraping her hands along everything she could touch. She ran and ran and ran some more, until the ground threatened to drop beneath her. Quickly, the woman skidded to a stop at the edge of the cliff, chest pounding with adrenaline.

And then she looked up.

What she saw made her heart thump wildly, her eyes dilate with greed, and she clasped her fingers together. In the distance were a plethora of buildings lit with various, sparkling colors, and small flecks hummed along the ground beneath them. Between the robed woman and the busy city stood a large T-shaped tower, as equally lit as the city, on a lone patch of land in the middle of the bay as though it were a shield.

"This is-," she breathed, "-this is _exactly_ what I've been looking for."

* * *

Later, as the yellow of the setting sun caressed an array of purples and pinks across the sky, snowflakes still dancing their way down from the heavens, three teenagers spent their time in the operations room of the widely known Titans Tower. The changeling and his cyborg of a friend combatted one another via mashed gaming buttons and half-hearted insults, each one grinning wildly at the television screen. At the end of the couch sat their comrade, a dark haired sorceress who had just read the last sentences of the trilogy she'd been reading for the past week. She traced her fingers over the edge of the final page, satisfied, before closing the hardcover book completely and looking up at her exuberant teammates.

"Ha!" Cyborg bellowed, executing a complicated combo and KO'ing his green friend's gamestation character into a mess of digital tears, "Gotcha, BB!"

Beast Boy pouted, "No fair - you _totally_ cheated, man!" causing the eldest titan to raise an amused eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! There's no way you did that combo on your own, it's the hardest one in the game!"

"Well," Cyborg puffed out his plated chest, "maybe I'm just that good?"

Beast Boy scoffed and rolled his eyes, disbelieving, before looking over at the empath rising from her seat. "Finish your book, Rae?" She glanced up, tucking the book under her arm and collecting her lavender tea mug before nodding. The demoness headed towards the kitchen to drop off her cup. "Wanna play a round or two? You know you want to~."

She stared back at him, resisting the habitual urge to roll her eyes, and simply shook her head. "I'm going to return my books," Raven phased through the floor, not waiting for a reply, and teleported into her room. After collecting the other two stories she'd borrowed from Jump City's Community Library, the sorceress set out for the city.

The green changeling merely shrugged before whipping back to Cyborg and demanding a rematch, to which his teammate heartily obliged, promising to whoop his butt at gaming all night if he had to. This didn't sit well with the shapeshifter's ego, and so, the two boys were quickly at it again.

Meanwhile, as Raven made her way towards the city's community library and her teammates, Cyborg and Beast Boy, enjoyed another bout of gaming back at the tower, the last two members of the Teen Titans stood in line at the cinema. While the movie they'd gone to see, _The Yellow Barrette,_ didn't have that many attendees for the night, a new release of _Wicked Scary 3_ brought in quite the crowd. People stood behind, in front of, and beside the two titans as the lobby became packed with more patrons each passing second. Adjusting his mask uncomfortably, Robin gently guided his date to the front of the commotion. "Two tickets for 'The Yellow Barrette', thanks."

Starfire stepped closer to the masked titan as the backside of middle aged man invaded her space, pushed backwards by a rowdy child wanting to be picked up. "I did not realize it would be so busy," she noted, surveying the mass of bodies around them as her teammate exchanged currency for their tickets, a large bowl of popcorn, and a large fountain drink to share.

"Yeah, neither did I," Robin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as the woman behind the counter took the empty popcorn bucket to the popcorn machine, "It'll be a good time, though."

Eyes bright, the girl nodded and reached out for the large cup of soda pop in front of them. She took a big gulp as they waited for the rest of their movie treat, enjoying the fizzy bubbles in her mouth. "This is very delicious, Robin! What flavor have you chosen?"

"Glad you like it," he sounded relieved, having forgotten to ask her what flavor she preferred, "it's cherry vanilla." The teen gave the cashier a nod as she slid the popcorn across the counter, into his arms, before offering a hand to his teammate.

Taking his hand with a light blush, her teammate's gloved fingers intertwining with her own calloused ones, Starfire took another sip and tugged him excitedly towards the ticket collector. Robin followed along, careful not to spill the overloaded bucket of buttery snacks, and presented the two slips of paper. After the worker tore off a corner of each, he directed the couple to one of the theatre doors in the back.

The tamaranean smiled in thanks and proceeded down the hall, "I am very excited to see this movie," before slipping into the darkened theatre, Robin right beside her, "the vehicle in which it was presented was very amusing!"

Robin paused, comprehending her words, as they sat down in the middle of the room. Not many people were around to view the film - maybe a handful aside from the two Titans - and he was thankful for the lacking audience; Starfire often talked throughout films in effort to understand the Earthly terms used, and, as sweet a girl as she was, she was not very quiet. It had bothered fellow viewers before. "You mean the trailer, Star?"

The gears in her mind turned and after a moment her face turned scarlet in embarrassment, "Oh. I believe I was mistaken." She took another sip of their shared drink, sinking comfortably into the plush cushion behind her, "The trailer, yes."

"No worries," Robin tossed a piece of buttery popcorn in his mouth, chewing slowly to relish its salty flavor, "I don't know why they name a movie preview after those things, anyway."

A soft giggle escaped his teammate's lips, the redhead nodding in agreement, "Indeed, it is a little strange. But Earth's customs and manners of speaking are so interesting!"

He raised an eyebrow, smiling lightly, for he had heard it all before plenty of times. As Starfire dove into the wonders of the many Earthen languages and their intricacies, along with all of the customs and traditions she found enjoyable, the boy wonder speculated if she would ever become accustomed with the planet enough to lose that sparkle in her emerald eyes. Suppressing a snort of amusement, he deemed it unlikely, for aside from her natural curiosity and optimistic personality, it had already been a few years since she'd first arrived on Earth. If her love for the planet were to dim at all, it would have done so already. And so, with a contented sigh as the lights darkened for the presentation of the movie, Robin held his palm open for the alien girl to slip her hand into his.

"U-um, miss R-Raven?" a meek voice drifted into earshot from a few steps away, prompting the Titan to turn her head with a curious stare. A girl, appearing to be of the same age as Raven herself, twiddled her thumbs nervously before tucking a short strand of strawberry-blonde hair behind a heavily freckled ear, "Do you need help, um, f-finding anything?" Raven noticed the name tag, _Amy_ , pinned to the girl's soft green blouse.

"No," the empath deadpanned, looking back at the shelf in front of her. The girl blanched, her skin already fairly pale, and hurried out of the book aisle with a flustered shuffle. It wasn't as if Raven _tried_ to scare her off - no, she only did that when the person in question was either too close or too frustrating - but it wasn't in her nature to appease to the girl's apprehensiveness. That was Starfire's job, or Beast Boy's. Even Cyborg's, really.

But not Raven's and, so, she spent the next half hour searching for a good collection of novels to indulge in throughout the next few weeks. Only when the sound of an elderly man, voice scratchy and tired, came over the intercom did she stop what she was doing to listen.

" _The Jump City Community Library will be-."_ Raven raised an eyebrow at the disconnection, several books resting in her arms. " _-en minutes… please make yo-,"_ She looked up at the speaker in the corner of the room, " _-ounter soon. Thank you and have a ni-."_ All went silent, though she figured that the building would be closing shortly and opted to head for the front desk.

The Titan stood behind a short, squat woman with teased out gray hair as she waited for her turn in line. Slowly but surely the order of people changed, moving efficiently, before a shrill screech pierced the room. "Ah!" the empath dropped her items in favor of covering her ears while several of the library patrons let out similar gasps of surprise, suffering the same fate as the empath. Finally, the noise was vanquished. Those within the building cast anxious and confused looks at one another, disturbed by the uncalled for sound, and spoke amongst themselves regarding it's origin. Eventually, after recollecting her abandoned books and brushing aside the technological malfunction, Raven found herself at the front of the line.

"That was an odd noise, huh?"

Raven dipped her head, setting her books on the counter.

"Well, did you find everything okay today?"

"Yes."

"Glad to hear it."

Someone cleared their throat on the intercom, sending another - albeit less intense - wave of high pitched sound throughout the building, and it was not the man from before. " _Is this thing- Oh, okay, it's on."_ The Titan narrowed her eyebrows, not pleased with the Library's technical difficulties and slightly irked by the woman's bubbly tone.

" _...Hello Jump City residents!"_

The cinema lights flickered just as a pair of lips met in the center of the screen, confusing both Robin and Starfire as well as the other audience members in the room, before the whole area was plunged into a silent darkness. Quickly, the duo jumped to their feet in search of the source. "Star, you okay?" a gentle squeeze on the forearm confirmed his inquisition.

"What is happening, Robin?"

"I'm not sure, but we-."

With a crackle of the speakers, the sound of a woman's voice drifted through the room. A chill went up Robin's spine and he glanced over at Starfire's bright green eyes. The two made eye contact, the girl nodding affirmation, before pulling out their communicators and hurrying out of the audience.

" _You do not know me, but I am more than eager to know you."_

Not only were the screen rooms darkened, the hallway and lobby of the building were pitch black as well. The only light they could see came in through the large lobby glass doors; illumination from the moon lit up the sidewalk outside. The woman's voice rang through the building, sweet like honey but with a darker undertone.

" _So let's play a game, shall we?"_

Robin flipped open his communicator with Starfire beside him, signalling to the rest of the team that something was amiss, and felt himself fill with relief to see the rest of their friends answer. Before Robin could open his mouth, however, he heard the same voice drifting through his communication speaker from the other sides. "Is this happening to you guys, too?" he glanced at Starfire, her face worried yet hardened, ready for battle.

Cyborg held his communicator open, Beast Boy leaning over his shoulder to glimpse the screen. "Man, someone done hacked the Tower. This voice-"

" _An icebreaker of sorts."_

"-won't turn off, no matter what I do, and the lights ain't comin' back on!"

Beast Boy squeaked, pointing outside the window, "Dudes!" The cybernetic teen looked up and his one human eye widened. "Robin, the whole city is dark!"

" _I'll start-."_

On the other end, an unusual presence slipped through Raven's senses and froze her to the spot.

" _-by singing a special song for you."_

The alien princess looked up at the ceiling, a round speaker resting there, as the sound of rhythmic humming drifted into the room. "Robin, the voice is coming from _all_ of the devices of speaking," she noted several speakers around them.

Robin nodded, noticing this as well, and opened his mouth to speak - except nothing came out save for a yawn. The boy blinked, confused, for he had not felt tired moments before.

Raven, still at the library, felt her muscles give way. The humming, graduating to a sing-song coo, slipped into her ears and seemed to travel down the length of her body. Her eyes widened and she snapped her attention to the communicator, grabbing onto the edge of the counter to help steady an oncoming sway. "Don't listen to it!" Robin felt his legs give way rather quickly, dropping to one knee with the communicator still in hand. Starfire gasped, kneeling down and placing a hand on his shoulder. The empath dropped her communication device and covered her ears tightly, "...It's a spell!"

Starfire's eyes widened as Robin dropped like a rock onto the red carpeted floors of the cinema hallway. "Friends, Robin has fallen!" she looked up at the speakers again, hands glowing green, before blasting several of them to pieces. Her efforts were in vain, though, for the singing only intensified through the rest of the cinema speakers and pierced her ears despite her attempts to block out the noise. With a squeak, Starfire's eyelids started to droop.

"Come on BB, get up…" Cyborg rubbed his human eye wearily, trying to lift the unconscious changeling from the floor, to no avail. A long stretch of drool dribbled down Beast Boy's jaw, slipping onto the white tiles of the ops room and forming a rather impressive puddle. "Nah, man, don't…" the eldest titan felt heavy, sitting on the floor and resting his back against the counter, "...fall asleep, on me." His head dipped forward, eye finally closed.

At the library, Raven forced her eyelids to stay open, even just a little bit. The silence of familiar voices from her communicator warned her the other Titans had fallen victim to this siren song, and she was quick to deduce she would not last much longer, either. Groaning, the girl dug her nails into the carpet and pulled herself forward - although, to where exactly, she wasn't sure. So long as she kept moving, kept her body active, she could maybe stay awake. Maybe.

" _Be sweet, be still, just close your eyes."_

As though the life were ripped from her, the empath fell forward, her cheek slamming into the rough texture of the community carpet. A soft sigh of protest escaped Raven's lips, her eyes fluttering closed before prompting back open.

" _Do not fear, for my voice will be your guide tonight."_

The last thing she felt before the darkness took her was a presence - an aura mixed with a plethora of emotions she couldn't quite decipher - wrap around her mind and pull her under.

* * *

Waking with a groggy start, Raven duly noted the throb behind her temples. Not wanting to open her eyes but eager to know what happened, the empath scrunched up her nose and slowly revealed her violet irises. "Mngh," she winced as the sunlight - was it sunlight? It seemed so… ethereal - sent unpleasant tingles through her head, irritating the oncoming headache. Carefully, she sat up on her elbows and peered around, taking in her surroundings; flowers of unusual shape and saturated colors loomed over her, making the Titan feel small, and the ground underneath was covered with incredibly soft blades of grass. The light that shone through the enormous petals illuminated small flecks of dust in the air, although they very nearly sparkled. Raven reached out a hand to the floating particles, wrapping ashen fingers around them and pulling them out of the light. Tentatively, the girl opened her hand to reveal nothing but her own palm.

Groaning, she sat all the way up and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palms, noting how it was no longer chilly; the scarf around her neck, donned before she left for the library, actually felt quite suffocating as the air around her warmed her skin to a comfortable degree. She unwrapped the off-white piece of fabric her teammate, Starfire, had knitted for her one holiday and folded it, grasping the material with her fingers. Raven stood and gazed up at the soft glow of the sky, the flowers that now stood hardly a foot above her, and knitted her brows in concentration.

 _Where am I?_ She turned her gaze forward, stepping forward into a shadowed archway of disfigured flora. Even the shadows seemed whimsical, appearing to shimmer. It was like something out of a fairytale.

The rustling of leaves nearby alerted the Titan to another's presence, the empath quickly adopting a fighting stance. "Hello?" a quiet voice, one Raven knew she'd heard before, cut through the tranquility of the woodlands, "Is anyone there?"

"I am here," Raven relaxed, sensing no danger from the individual nearby.

"U-um, where?"

Heading towards the voice, Raven was careful to watch her step. Several roots, now that she studied the land beneath her feet, looped out of the ground in what looked to be intricate designs. They were a deep beige color, maybe slightly darker than regular roots, and were so saturated in color that between the roots and the vibrant green grass surrounding them Raven couldn't stand to keep her eyes on them much longer. The empath proceeded forward, following the increasingly frantic words coming from around the corner, "Just follow my voice."

Raven turned the corner, careful not to have tripped on anything peeking out of the ground, and looked up into a pair of soft blue eyes. "M-miss Raven!" a girl with choppy strawberry-blonde hair and an abundance of freckles gasped, startled. The Titan remembered her as one of the library volunteers, noticing again her name tag. "Do you, um," Amy bit her lip and looked around, "know where we are?"

"No," the sorceress scanned the area, "have you seen anyone else since you woke up?" The girl shook her head, frowning, and twiddled her thumbs again. Raven huffed in irritation - not so much at the civilian but more in that she had no idea where they were, much less where her team was.

 _Her team_. Raven raised both eyebrows before flipping out her communicator, sending a signal, and scowling when the device refused to work. "U-Um, miss Raven-?"

"What?" the empath hissed.

Amy sputtered, shuffling away from the sorceress, "Uh, n-nevermind." The Titan narrowed her eyebrows at the girl before sighing, her face falling into it's naturally expressionless slate. When Raven motioned her along, Amy fell into step beside the teen superhero as they weaved through the densely planted flowers. Their trek was silent, awkward even, and the library volunteer grew more uneasy with each step. Her mess of emotions did little to quell the storm inside of the empath, only fueling the headache she'd adopted since waking up.

"Can you relax?"

"Wha-."

"Relax," the Titan groaned quietly, "your emotions are giving me a migraine."

Amy raised both eyebrows, remembering how the Teen Titan's sorceress held strong empathic abilities. "S-Sorry, yes… I'm sorry."

Raven grunted, stepping over an oddly shaped log, pausing briefly to look at it. Curious, she knelt and ran a hand over the bark. Her eyes shot to her hairline when she realized that it felt nothing like a real log of wood, what with such an exaggeratedly rough texture. Pulling her hand back, Raven also noted the lack of dirt or debris that came with her touch.

"What is it?"

The empath shook her head, rising, "This place is strange. Let's keep going." Amy nodded and followed along right behind her protector, freckled hands clasped together to prevent them from shaking. They walked on for several minutes, taking in the sights around them and keeping their ears pricked for the sound of others in the vicinity.

Stumbling over her own two feet, clumsy enough as she was without roots reaching out of the ground to try and trip her up, the library volunteer fell forward into a patch of delicately textured grass. It was soft and slightly cool beneath her fingers, making for a comfortable landing. Raven stopped, glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "S-sorry!" Amy scrambled to her feet with a blush so scarlet it matched her hair. The girl twiddled her thumbs again, embarrassed to have tripped up in front of a Titan - much less the stern Raven.

The crisp sound of a twig snapping caught the two girls' attention, Raven throwing up a shield in front of the librarian volunteer with one hand and muttering her chant beneath her breath. Amy stepped back, eyes wide. Raven's left hand pulsed with magic, "I know you're there. Come out." Her empathic abilities sensed not one, but nearly a dozen entities nearby. A few seconds later, several humans stepped out of the brush and gasped at the sight of the cloaked superhero.

"Well, I'll be darned," an elderly man sporting a rather large gut shook his head, "we found a Titan, fellas!"

Raven relaxed, dropping the shield in front of Amy. "How many of there are you?" The man leaned back, roughly counting his numbers as more people poured into view. A middle-aged lady with graying hair stepped out, straddling a toddler at her waist and holding the hand of a young girl. Next to her, a teen boy and an elderly woman walked into sight, along with other civilians of varying ages.

"Mmm, 'bout ten or so, I'd say," the man looked back at her, taking off his faded ballcap and wiping a hand over his balding head, "The name's Teddy. You're Raven, yeah?" Raven nodded, Amy not having left her side. "Then we're in luck," he smiled, relief flickering in his eyes, "got any idea what done happened here? To us?"

The empath's eyes skimmed over the crowd once more and she shook her head, straightening so her cloak covered her person. "Not entirely, but I do know we've been cast under a spell."

"A spell, ya say?" At the mention of such a thing, the crowd surrounding Teddy broke into concerned murmurs. Raven winced at the influx of emotions, her eye twitching something bad. To her surprise, though, the teen boy in the crowd spoke up.

He attempted to settle the crowd, "Guys, guys! Don't freak out - it's distracting to Raven." The crowd, still restless yet less so, regarded him and the Titan curiously. Glancing over his shoulder, purple eyes briefly met dark brown before he turned to the cluster of people again, "...She'll take care of us, so don't worry." The corner's of Raven's shapely lips threatened to twitch upwards.

Teddy stepped forward, closing the distance between his ragtag team of Jump City residents and the two girls. "What'd ya wanna do, li'l miss?" Amy glanced over at Raven, who, unbeknownst to the girl, was clutching her Titan's communicator tightly within her cloak.

"We need to move," Raven stated, matter-of-fact, and started off in the direction her and the volunteer had been trodding towards before running into the new group. "Move, stick together, and find the other Titans."

The balding man, as well as the other civilians, hurried after her quick pace. "What about survivors? The way thing be lookin', seems the whole library went under."

"If we find survivors along the way, we won't hesitate to bring them along, but we have to focus on finding the Titans."

"But how-," the man tripped over a root, thankfully recovering his balance instead of landing face first onto the bumpy ground, "-how we gonna find 'em?" Silently, Raven let out a groan and wished he would stop questioning her. "Can't ya-."

"I am an empath," she seethed, surprising the older man with her tone, "I can sense them and anyone else in the immediate area." _Or anything._ "But in order to do that, you all need to be silent."

Teddy nodded without a word, falling into step among the rest of the troupe they'd accumulated. As they trod on, footsteps heavy and the air thick with questions craving to be asked, the flowers ahead eventually thinned, dispersing the archway enough for a brilliant glow to seep through. Before the band of refugees was a shallow, yet lengthy, stream. It's clear water sparkled as the sunlight reflected off of it, the tide a lazy flow. Raven closed her eyes and reached out her senses, holding up a cautionary hand; her followers waited with bated breath.

At the telltale signs of human life meandering across the waterline, Raven opened her eyes and motioned for the others to follow. Still silent, save for the cry of a hungry babe and a soothing mother's coo, the group travelled through the stream. It was chilly, crisp, and seeped effortlessly into their shoes despite the type fabrics worn. Raven suppressed a shiver. "There are survivors over there," she nodded in the direction she'd felt their energy, receiving an acknowledging nod from Teddy.

With new vigor, they strode with squishing shoes into a more forested area. The trees were massive, ungainly in their twisted shapes, but still just as enchanting as the rest of the landscape had been. Shifting scenery aside, it didn't take long to locate the pair of young adults they'd been searching for and admit them into their quickly growing group. Soon afterwards, another stray found refuge. By nighttime, the troupe had settled down for camp beneath the realm of lumbering trees with nearly twenty-five members.

Teddy and the teen boy from before were tasked with keeping the campers relatively calm and quiet, though they still whispered among themselves curiously, while Raven set to work a few paces away collecting branches and fallen leaves for a fire. Amy busied herself by digging out a small pit, trimming the edges with stones varying in color and size, to contain the flame the sorceress would make upon her return. "Here," Raven levitated a decent amount of wood into the pit, setting aside just as much on the sidelines to keep the fire going throughout the night, and used her magic to strike a spark from two of the rocks. Soon, the campers were blessed with a sizeable campfire to settle around.

"T-Thank you, miss Raven," Amy gave her a small smile, scooting backwards away from the heat. The empath nodded, letting herself lean against the rough bark of a nearby tree. She gazed across the area, doing a mental check to make sure everyone was there, before closing her eyes. The near celestial aesthetic of the land during the day rivaled that of itself at night, though it's exquisite beauty did little to calm her nerves. Raven inhaled sharply through her nose at the thought of her friends and where they may be.

Were they hurt? Lost, just as she was?

The empath gradually opened her eyes and looked skyward, her chest seizing with worry despite the relaxed emotions of the Jump City residents nearby. Taking in the sight of an oversized full moon, shining strongly through the canopy of leaves above, Raven pulled out her communicator and dipped her gaze to the painted T on it's surface. She traced her thumb over it, debating whether or not to try contacting them again. Succumbing to her own desperate curiosity, the girl flipped open the device and tried sending a signal; a signal that would not send. With a disheartened huff, she slammed the communicator shut and hooked it back on her belt, crossing her arms in a muted rage. Her friends were probably going through the same thing and Raven could only hope they weren't by their lonesome out there, either entirely isolated or stuck with a group of civilians they had to protect on their own, as she was now.

But were they even here, in this mystical land that threatened her sanity?

And if they were, would she be able to find them?

 **A/N: Such a long chapter, with plenty more to come! I'm hoping to update at least once a week to every two weeks, though it depends on how the story progresses and how busy I am. I hope you enjoyed (:**

 **Feel free to drop me a review, I'd love to hear your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2: Waking Up

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.**

 **A/N: A big thanks to my friends for reading this chapter ahead of my publishing it and giving me wonderful feedback. You all are awesome! Also, thanks to those who have read and commented on the story thus far. Each favorite, follow, and review make me so happy!**

The smell of a sharp, pungent aroma stirred Beast Boy from his slumber. Scrunching up his nose, the boy pled for "just five more minutes" as he rolled over onto his side, nose stuffed halfway into the cottony grass below. With another sniff, the fresh undertones of what he'd been smelling finally prompted his eyes open. He started backwards, surprised by a branch of unnaturally low-hanging leaves reaching to tickle his nose. Why was he outside? "Uhh," Beast Boy's gaze drifted upwards at the cluster of trees surrounding him, thoroughly confused, until the memory of what happened to the Titans' Tower speakers came flooding back.

"Oh no," his voice cracked and he cleared it, used to the common influctuations. He looked around. With a sigh of relief, his eyes landed on his resting teammate a few feet away; Cyborg snored loudly - how Beast Boy tuned that out was beyond the green teenager - and had one robotic arm slung over his eyes. Quickly, Beast Boy crawled over to his friend and shook him, "Yo, Cy! Wake up, dude."

Moaning and groaning, Cyborg batted him away. Only when he let out a yawn laced with morning breath did the changeling shy away, covering his nose.

"Dude, that reeks!" Beast Boy's eyes watered, his sniffer much too sensitive. A smug grin mixed with a tired, although satisfied, chuckle escaped Cyborg's lips as he sat up.

"Serves ya right for wakin' me up, Grass Stain," he blinked open his human eye, "You know I gotta have my-..." The robotic Titan trailed off, taking in their surroundings. His eye widened and he glanced at BB for an explanation as to where they were. The changeling shrugged.

"I have no clue."

Rising to his feet, Cyborg rested his hands on his hips and surveyed the area. With a discontented grunt, the teen flipped open a data compartment on his arm. Moments passed in silence as he analyzed their surroundings, the readings scanned through his artificial eye and presented on the screen of his built-in technological index. Confused, the Titan double-checked his findings.

"What?" Beast Boy raised both eyebrows.

"This place is weird, man," Cyborg looked up, narrowing his eye at the trees in front of them, "It's like everything is alive." The changeling beside him chuckled warily.

"Well, it kinda is, dude. Trees and all that."

"No, I mean it's-..." Beast Boy's ears twitched and he spun around, body now that of a green tiger. He growled, massive fangs bared. The familiar sound of a sonic cannon charging up resonated beside him. However, before either teen could initiate attack, an elderly woman peeped her head around the corner. Surprised, Beast Boy returned to his human form - yet Cyborg remained where he was.

The woman shrank a little bit, clearly hiding from them, until recognition sparkled in her eyes. Her mouth formed a surprised little 'o'. "It's you!"

"Umm-."

"Harold, it's the Teen Titans! Well, two of them."

Beast Boy's ears picked up the shuffling of unsteady feet and out stepped Harold, a man with less than a few hairs left on his head and a hunchback threatening to knock him over. "Y'all know us?" Cyborg lowered his cannon, arm reverting back to normal.

The woman nodded eagerly, lightly touching Harold's arm to guide him closer to the two superheroes. "Of course we do," she looked so relieved, "we've lived in Jump City for the past twenty years! My name is Mary." Surprised, Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged confused looks.

"And I'm Harold," her companion gruffed, "obviously."

"So," Cyborg raised an eyebrow, "what are ya'll doin' here, then?" Mary sighed, her lips dropping into a frown.

"We don't-."

"-Ain't got a clue," Harold itched the side of his nose with a speckled, fatty finger. "The last thing I remember is castin' out my fishin' pole when the whole city went dark. Next thing ya know, we're wakin' up in this place." Beside him, Mary nodded to confirm the story.

Cyborg's eyes widened, "So… you just, blacked out?" His green teammate shifted his body weight nervously, subtly hopping back and forth from each foot.

She nodded, pursing her lips in thought, "A woman's voice came through our boat's radio. Something about playing a game, I think, but I lost consciousness shortly after that." The two Titans paled, having experienced the same thing.

Harold huffed, "I'ma be guessin' that happened to you two, then," and crossed his arms, "Am I right?"

"Seems to be that way," Cyborg agreed. The cybernetic teen regarded the pair in front of him. Neither one looked able to defend themselves should the need arise, but he figured he and BB - who had turned into a bloodhound and was now sniffing out the area - would be more than capable of protecting them. A thought striking him, Cyborg narrowed his eyebrows, "You said the whole city?"

"Yes," Mary fluffed the sides of her permed and peppered hair, "everything went dark, even in our boat." Satisfied with its volume, she dropped her hands

"And the radio still worked?" The couple nodded, both now realizing how strange it sounded. Mary pursed her lips again, confused.

"Yes… it doesn't make sense, though," she looked at Harold, presumably her husband from the matching wedding ring, "Does it?" He shrugged.

"Regardless of whether or not it makes sense, it happened," Cyborg noticed his teammate return, human once again. "Find anything, BB?"

The changeling stretched one arm over his head, "Just trees, dude. I smelled water up ahead though. Did you check your communicator?" Curious, Cyborg pulled out the device and flipped it open. He narrowed his eyebrows at the lack of power, knowing for certain that he'd charged his recently. "Mine is out, too."

"Great," Cyborg huffed, stuffing the communicator back in his storage compartment, "I guess that means nobody's communicators are working. If the whole town got hit by whatever this was, the team is probably here somewhere, too."

Beast Boy wandered up to the three, a sheepish smile on his lips, "Looks like we're your personal escorts, huh?"

"I-..." Mary exchanged looks with her husband, who merely shrugged, before smiling at the changeling, "-I suppose so." The green teen morphed into a bloodhound once again, wagging his tail, before setting back to work on sniffing out a followable trail.

"Looks like we're headin' out," Cyborg proceeded after his teammate, pine needles crackling under foot, "Stick close, alright?"

Nodding, the couple fell into step behind them.

* * *

Starfire hovered alongside the Boy Wonder, and the rather large posse of Jump City survivors following them, as they weaved around the randomly scattered homes discovered shortly after waking up. Small log cabins, long since abandoned, sat every twenty feet or so from one another and in no particular pattern. Once in awhile the group would come across something of use in deducing their location, such as a withering notebook page or a crudely drawn map that Robin would keep, but had otherwise seemed to be walking in circles. After nearly an hour had passed and the civilians began to complain, Starfire landed softly on the ground and stopped their procession.

"Robin?" she watched as her teammate stopped too, "Perhaps I should do the scouting of what is ahead?" The girl had asked him this same question several times since waking up, to which he'd refused out of fear for her safety in the unknown land, but each time Robin's resolve came weaker and weaker. Finally, the boy sighed.

"I think that'd help. Try to find us some water."

"Glorious!" Starfire smiled, relieved, before taking to the air once again, "I will return shortly!" Robin watched the tamaranean fly away until she was little more than a colorful dot in the sky. A few feet away, the Jump City residents murmured among themselves to pass the time. They knew better than to approach the irate Titan leader, especially after he'd snapped at them a number of times before.

Grumbling, the Boy Wonder knelt down and pulled out a few items of interest from his belt. As time went by, Robin found himself absorbed in trying to decipher the otherworldly symbols on the journal pages him and his teammate had come across earlier. Page entires aside, the map - complete with a legend in the top corner - was not much better in terms of comprehensibility. The boy huffed, folding up the pamphlets to stuff them back in one of his belt's compartment, and stood again. Without his communicator working and the sun remaining in the same spot, Robin had no way of knowing the time. He could only guess that his teammate left him about fifteen minutes prior and the boy started to worry when, thankfully, the girl returned unharmed. He felt a heavy weight lift from his shoulders. Starfire drifted down onto the field, the long blades of yellowing grass brushing against the ankles of her boots, and she pointed a tanned finger presumably West.

"There are many trees in that direction," she explained, "A forest, I believe? I also saw an abundance of the 'water bodies' from the sky!" Robin nodded, recalling a similar layout on the map he'd examined.

"We'll go towards the forest and stop for water on the way," he motioned for their group to get up and walk. Begrudgingly, they conceded and followed the Titans despite the heat. Starfire's feet lifted into the air as she floated along. The warm air felt so good on her skin, even if she was getting a little sweaty. Absently, the girl wished she had a hair tie to keep the red hairs from sticking to her neck and back.

Now that they knew where they were going, it wasn't long until the quickly growing group came across some form of water; a shallow stream of icy water blocked their path, though nobody seemed to mind it. While most of the individuals, Robin included, were content just to stop and take a few sips, a handful of people enjoyed getting their skin wet. Starfire splashed her face with the refreshing liquid, sighing in relief as it trailed down her neck and arms. Slicking back the fiery locks framing her face, Star beamed at her teammate.

Robin crouched at the edge of the stream, a clear puddle cupped in his hands. He brought it to his lips and felt the chilly drink wash some of the heat's fatigue away, thankful for this momentary reprieve. The perspiration that had accumulated around his hairline and dripped down onto the rims of his mask begged him to remove the fabric - expose his identity - and he was so tempted to give in. But alas, the boy settled for wiping his face clean with damp hands instead. A light tap on his shoulder prompted him to look up.

"Shall we take a break here, Robin?" he inhaled sharply, noticing how the water sparkled on her sunkissed skin. Her eyes were as bright as they always were, that enchanting emerald color dazzling him into speechlessness. It didn't help when she pulled her hair up, exposing the little bit of her neck left uncovered by her uniform. "Robin?" the girl raised her eyebrows, "Are you feeling well?"

"W-what?" he nearly choked, blinking himself back to reality with a heated blush adorning his cheeks. Starfire frowned, covering his face with both of her hands. "Um… Star?" Robin gently removed her hands and cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, forgive me," she looked concerned, "I am observing your temperature." The Boy Wonder paused, confused, before finally catching on. He let go of her wrists, chuckling lightly.

"That's not how you do it, Star." Robin reached up and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead in example, to which the alien 'ooh'd in comprehension. She then smiled, taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.

"I see," she checked his temperature properly this time with her free hand and nodded, "Your method appears to be much more efficient!" Robin laughed again, this time louder and more carefree, before intertwining their fingers together.

He scanned the area and the trees overhead, "We could stop here for a little bit, along the treeline. I'm sure everyone could use a breather."

* * *

Cyborg stood at the edge of the river, unappreciative of it's size and depth, and watched as the strip of water opened up into a massive lake. He shook his head.

"Ain't no way we're gettin' across that, man," the eldest Titan motioned to his metallic body, "I'd sink if I tried, and I don't think those two could handle it either." Behind them, Harold had to lean against a tree to catch his breath as his wife rubbed circles into his back. While Mary, donning surprising athleticism for someone her age, was able to keep up with the two superheroes without much hassle, her husband had shown a remarkable lack of stamina. Beast Boy tapped his chin, thinking.

"What if I carried you across? I've done it before, you know, as pterodactyl," the changeling offered, flapping his arms out so as to make a point. Cyborg raised an amused eyebrow before shrugging.

"You can try, but it might tire you out," he looked across the vast stretch of water, "Plus, I don't really wanna leave 'em here by themselves. Just 'cus we haven't run into anything dangerous yet don't mean there ain't nothin' here." At this, Beast Boy pouted.

Mary squeezed Harold's shoulder comfortingly, whispered something in his ear, and straightened. She cleared her throat, "Cyborg, Beast Boy?" The superheroes looked over at her. "We appreciate the help you've given us, but you can leave us here if you have to."

Cyborg opened his mouth to speak, "You-."

"-We can't just leave you guys," Beast Boy shook his head, walking over to them. The older woman wasn't much taller than him, although he did have to look up to make eye contact, and the wrinkles beside her eyes deepened with a sad smile.

"There are others out there who need your help," she explained.

"Yeah," Cyborg knit his brows together, "and that includes you guys. We ain't leavin' you here." At this, Harold shook his head vehemently. He looked up, eyes skimming over Beast Boy's to stare down the cybernetic Titan.

"You boys don't get it, do you? I can't go on anymore," the old man rasped, chest heaving. Beast Boy tapped his chin, thinking, and then morphed into a large green stallion for the old man to ride on. Harold shook his head, taking a deep breath to speak again, and Mary patted his shoulder."Even if you did get us across the water, who's to say what's on the other side? For all you know, some ghastly beast is there waiting for a meal. I'd slow you down."

Cyborg crossed his arms, stubborn, as Beast Boy turned human again. "You do realize we're superheroes, right?" the robotic teen raised an eyebrow, "We protect people for a living. It's our _job_."

"Yeah, dude!" Beast Boy threw his hands out animatedly, "We can-."

"-I'm stayin' here," his breath coming in short gasps, "so quit arguin' and get goin'." Mary squeezed Harold's shoulder now, biting her lip. She looked at the two teenagers and apologized with her eyes, a dark brown. Mary was not going without her husband.

The changeling's ears drooped, "I'm not leaving you-"

"-I said go, kid!"

"No!" Beast Boy shifted into a pterodactyl, his arms stretching into a fifteen foot wingspan. The boy flapped his wings, the gusts of wind picking up the fallen leaves and thistles at their feet, and he rose into the air. Mary and Harold gawked, staring up at the green beast. Cyborg stepped back, narrowly avoiding being knocked over by a webbed appendage.

"Careful, man!"

The changeling dipped down and seized Harold by the shoulder, eliciting from him a cry of surprise.

"Harold," Mary gasped, reaching for him as Beast Boy brought him into the air, "put him down, Beast Boy!"

 _Sure thing,_ the changeling settled the fisherman into his teammate's metallic arms. Cyborg raised an eyebrow to match the old man's, both confused. Beast Boy snorted in frustration, landing on the ground and turning into a human. He pointed to Mary, "You're going to ride on my back across the water." Mary's eyes widened. The changeling looked at Cyborg and Harold, hands coming to settle defiantly on his hips. "Cyborg will carry Harold and I will carry Cyborg. Got it, guys?"

The three of them nodded hesitantly, all shocked at the boy's sudden change in demeanor, and prompted the changeling to shift back into his winged prehistoric form. With the help of his snout to push her up, Mary climbed atop the green boy's back and wrapped her arms around his scaly neck. Beast Boy lifted into the air slowly, the older woman tightening her grip and shutting her eyes, and picked up Cyborg by the shoulders with his two talons.

And with that, the quartet set across the water.

* * *

Starfire stretched her arms far above her head before relaxing against the ground, shifting uncomfortably as the leaves and twigs crunched beneath her. Her hands rested atop her bare stomach and she gazed at the clouds in the distance, content to lay there forever.

"Robin?" the girl turned her head to the boy relaxing beside her, eyes closed, with his back against the base of a tree. A soft giggle escaped her when she realized he was asleep - something she rarely got to witness. Robin's head dipped forward, his legs crossed Indian-style with a gloved hand perched on each knee, and each breath was deep and rhythmic. The girl smiled, opting to sit up and scoot back next to him. She leaned towards Robin and tilted her head, admiring his sleeping face. Her eyes skimmed the sides of his mask, no longer creased with his ever present look of concentration, and brushed over his sharp nose. Absently, Starfire touched her own in comparison; whereas his had a deep bridge, hers was more of a hook shape with smaller nostrils. "Hmm," she lowered her hand back into her lap and rested her head atop his shoulder, "we are not so different."

"I never said we were." Star shot up, eyes wide, and regarded Robin with a look of bewilderment. He opened one eye lazily and smiled, "What's up, Star?" Her blush matched her fiery hair.

"I did not mean to wake you! I am sorry," the girl bit her lip. Robin found her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze, opting to sit up straighter against the bark. His teammate looked down at their hands and smiled softly.

He shook his head, "You didn't wake me." Stifling a yawn, the Titans' leader looked out at the group of settlers enjoying their break beside the stream. "I was just resting my eyes."

"Oh! I see," Starfire nodded quickly and followed his gaze. "Shall we move forward? It seems that-." Both Titans jumped to their feet at the sound of an ear-splitting roar.

Robin was the first up, whipping out his collapsible bo staff in the process. "It's coming from the forest, get everyone across the water!" Eyes glowing green, Starfire nodded and set to work ushering their party of survivors towards the nearby stream. A loud crash, closer than the roar had been, urged the tamaranean to work faster.

"Please," she began, "you must hurry!" At the sound of possible danger, people were quick to run the opposite direction.

Another boom. In the distance, Robin noticed one of the trees sway and fall to the left, colliding harshly with the forest floor below. He narrowed his eyebrows and tightened the grip held on his bo staff. Starfire dropped down beside him, feet hovering slightly above the ground, and nodded to him - the Jump City residents were safely out of harm's way. As ready for action as the two Titans were, however, they most certainly were not prepared for the sight that beheld them.

Out of the trees charged a dark blur so fast Robin barely had time to dive to the side. A large, gangly claw swiped the air where the Boy Wonder had been mere moments before. Robin's eyes narrowed at the sight; a ribbed snout filled with sharp, yellow teeth and beady bloodshot eyes stared back at him. The creature snarled, leaping towards the boy.

"No!" Starfire blasted it in the side of the head with a starbolt, leaving its dark grey fur singed but otherwise causing little damage, "You will not hurt Robin!" The beast shook its head roughly, humanesque eyes training in on the floating alien, and roared. Thick spittle flew from its jaws and littered the ground, it's savage cry only interrupted when a metal pole slammed down on the top of its earless skull.

Robin gasped as teeth wrapped quickly around his bo staff. Before he could let go, the Titan was thrust into the air and collided with an airborne Starfire. Both teens fell to the ground with an 'oof', though they hastily scrambled to their feet.

"Find its weakness," Robin breathed heavily, pulling out two explosive discs and tossing them at the feet of their attacker. Beside him, hair littered with forest debris, Starfire nodded. The discs exploded and their smoke concealed the monster's large body, though it's pained howl told them contact had been made. The Boy Wonder's eyebrows show to his hairline as he noticed the thing's hairless, pale-skinned belly. "Try hitting it's chest!"

Starfire gave a mighty battle cry, flying over the cloud of smoke and sending down a barrage of starbolts into the mist. A gasp escaped her lips when suddenly she came face to face with a wretched, open snout. She flew backwards sharply, barely avoiding contact. The smoke cleared and the beast, no longer hunched over on all fours, stood tall on its back two legs. It was massive, nearly reaching twenty feet when fully extended, and bore a strange resemblance to a humanoid wolf despite a few discrepancies. It's whole underside was bare, as if it had been shaved right down to the skin, along with it's almost rat-like tail. The creature went to move, eyes trained on Robin since Starfire was out of reach, when the Boy Wonder pulled back a hand harboring several more exploding discs.

"Now!"

Robin and Starfire pelted the creature's exposed belly with starbolts and explosive discs, not hesitating in their assault. Howls of agony filled the air and the rising smoke illuminated green with each starbolt fired. Soon, all was silent. The tamaranean glanced at her leader, awaiting orders. He held up his gloved hand: Wait.

When the smoke finally cleared several seconds later, the pair - and the plethora of frightened onlookers across the stream behind them - sighed in relief. A charred and bloody lump sat in a blackened circle, the forest floor having been burnt to a crisp during the fight. Starfire floated to the ground and offered Robin a smile, to with he returned.

"Well dang, ya'll!" Both Titans jumped back into a fighting stance. Out of the brush stepped a tall, dark-skinned teenager with more metal integrated into his body than human flesh. Cyborg grinned, arms crossed, "Looks like we missed the party." Robin and Starfire relaxed, the latter's lips curving into a thousand watt smile.

"Friend Cyborg!" she beamed, even more pleased as a familiar green changeling scampered into view, "Friend Beast Boy!" The girl swooped in and gathered the two boys in a bone crushing hug, her cheek pressed against her green friend's temple. Both boys gasped for breath as she released them, coughing a little here and there.

"Hey-," Beast Boy waved his hand, "-Star. Whazzup?"

Starfire clapped her hands together, "We have been looking for you! Please, friends, where is Raven?"

"Back in Jump, she left for the Library. Must've been there, or somewhere in the city, when everything went crazy," Cyborg explained, thoroughly wishing she'd stayed at the Tower with them. "We haven't found her yet."

"We will," Robin declared, not too phased by their fifth member's absence. Raven was a capable fighter and he had faith in her ability to choose her battles wisely. He looked over his shoulder at the people waiting on them across the stream, "But first we need to find them a safe place. The forest obviously isn't the best choice."

Beast Boy snorted, "No kidding. But hey, check it out!" He shifted into a green copy of the beast they fought minutes before and whipped his rat-like tail side to side. At the distasteful look from his leader, the changeling returned to his human form and grinned. "Heh, it's a lot cooler in battle. Promise."

"Speakin' of survivors and whatnot, we've brought some friends." Cyborg motioned an elderly couple over who were previously hidden behind a tree, "Come on over, ya'll!"

A woman with peppered hair, Mary, and her hunchbacked husband, Harold, stepped into view. Mary smiled brightly at the two other Titan's they'd yet to meet. "My goodness!" Harold limped over, having sprained his ankle during a battle earlier, and stood beside Cyborg.

"Looks like you done found yourself part of a city," he murmured, noting the large populace down by the stream that were slowly trickling back to the forest's edge. Starfire dipped her head, smiling brilliantly.

"We have found plenty of people! Although," she paused, the corners of her mouth dropping, "you have only found two?" The alien regarded her two friends and the serious looks that drifted onto their features.

Cyborg pursed his lips, "We'll talk about it later." He looked at his leader and then at the forest, "It ain't safe to be standin' around here. Gonna get dark soon." Robin nodded, noticing how the sky had gone from sunny to sombre since stopping at the stream.

"We'll travel along the stream, towards the mountains," Robin gestured, presumably North, at the vast greyness beyond the lightly treed plains they had come from. "There might be some more houses along the water's edge."

" _More_ houses?" Beast Boy's ears twitched.

"They were abandoned, but Star and I passed a bunch of log cabins on the way here. We woke up in one, actually."

"Well then," Cyborg motioned for Mary and Harold to join the large group of travellers, "we best get goin'."

And they set off, not coming across proper shelter until the moon was high overhead.

* * *

Raven stood off from the campfire, the moon bright enough to chase away any true darkness, and tried to find some peace of mind. She was so sick of the emotions rippling through the air. Rubbing her temples, the girl wished she could meditate. _But no,_ she narrowed her eyebrows, _they won't leave me alone long enough to get anything done._

"M-Miss Raven?" As if on cue, a gentle voice cut through Raven's silence. The Titan inwardly groaned, turning her gaze on the freckled girl.

"What?"

Amy bit her lip, "I was, um, just w-wondering if you'd like to-."

"No."

"-come sit by-."

"I said, no."

Relenting, the library volunteer's words trailed off into nothingness and the two girls stood there with nothing to say. Amy twiddled her thumbs, a nervous habit not overlooked by the dark sorceress, unsure of what to do. She'd only wanted the heroine to come and join them at the fire. While it had been warm during the day, the air had gotten progressively chilly as night pressed upon them and a mere cloak couldn't possibly hold in enough heat to stay comfortable.

Raven sighed, "Whatever it is you're worrying about, I am fine." Amy jumped at the Titan's voice and stared, her face erupting in a furious blush.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-." Another sigh cut the girl's sentence short and she looked down at her hands, embarrassed. "I will, um… I will go sit down." She stepped backwards, dipping her head in farewell to the dark Titan, and rejoined her fellow civilians at the fire.

Sighing, Raven leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. The headache that she had woken with that afternoon had yet to disappear, though it could be due to the large quantity of intense emotions she had been subject to throughout the day. She pinched the bridge of her nose and thought of her friends, hoping it would help calm her restless psyche: Robin, the leader she so badly needed right now to help her guide those in need; Starfire, her best friend in the whole world and the heart of their team; Cyborg, a reassuring and wise older brother to, not only her, but all of the Titans; and Beast Boy, the infuriating green elf that strove to make her smile every time they were together. The girl huffed, slightly entertained by the thought of a very merry changeling dressed up in the traditional Santa's Elf garb. Unsurprisingly, that would not have been far off from their most recent celebration - although, instead of an elf, Beast Boy had trotted around the tower as a reindeer with a red dot of makeup on his nose. At the memory, the empath rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. And then she frowned, shaking her head as a cacophony of intense excitement cut through the air. Frustrated, she shot those around the campfire an icy glare, not caring whether or not they could actually witness it.

The girl turned her head forward once again, eyes blurring the hodgepodge of forest trees into shady smears. She closed her tired eyes. Though she'd never admit it, Raven would gladly take BB and his corny jokes any day over the emotional strain on her powers she was subject to now. Out of concern for potential stragglers, she let her empathic powers skim over the twenty-something campers enjoying themselves by the fire, silently doing another head count.

And then a nearby roar tore Raven from her thoughts.


End file.
